


Left Behind

by nyandereneko (nebulousneko)



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Multi, One Shot, Reader-Insert, gender neutral reader, soooooo much fluff lol, well more towards the end but...this is just a short and sweet thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22149577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulousneko/pseuds/nyandereneko
Summary: Tasked with staying behind while Alastor spends the morning after Extermination Day running errands, it’s practically impossible to keep yourself from worrying about whether or not he’ll return--in one piece, if at all.
Relationships: Alastor (Hazbin Hotel) & Reader, Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 138





	Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I didn’t plan on this being my next x reader, nor did I intend for it to also have something to do with Extermination Day…but I came up with a scenario on my twitter after seeing this tweet (https://twitter.com/Faustisse/status/1212290736323997696) that I just had to write. Imagining what it would be like to wait for him to get back, not knowing if he was okay, if he was going to return at all…well, all of that’s in the fic, so I suppose I shouldn’t ramble here too much. Thank you for reading, and I hope it’s not too boring and samey lol.

It was one of the most anxiety inducing times of year--you couldn’t help but worry. It was only natural to fret about the wellbeing of those that were most important to you, wasn’t it? As unnecessary as it was, as little as you knew your meager concern meant in his eyes, you couldn’t stop yourself from pacing the halls, gnawing your nails, checking the clock every now and then as the agonizing seconds ticked by. If something had happened, surely you would have heard something by now. Surely he had some kind of plan in place that would send a message directly to you detailing what had happened, if anything happened at all. It had been a few hours since he’d gone out, and you hadn’t received anything of the sort in all that time…if any kind of tragedy  _ was  _ going to strike, it already would have, right?

That was all you could tell yourself, the best you could do to convince your frantic mind that everything was going to be okay. That  _ he  _ was. You weren’t giving him enough credit, if you were being honest. It would disappoint him so to know that you had such little faith in him, that you’d wasted all the time he’d been away worrying about when he’d come back.  _ If _ he’d come back. He was usually so diligent about reassuring you, encouraging you to retire your impractical and restless thoughts. You needed to remember exactly who it was you were dealing with and fussing over. If he thought there was any legitimate chance of encountering a threat, he probably wouldn’t have taken the risk of delving into the fray in the first place. But errands were errands even here in Hell; he had urgent business to attend to, and nothing as trivial as the aftermath of the latest Extermination was going to throw off his schedule.

You froze as you heard the distinct rattle of a knob turning at the front door. You’d been passing through the foyer at the exact moment he returned, it seemed. Quite convenient. Doing your best to pull yourself together, you straightened your clothes and prepared to greet him with the sincerest smile you could manage. Hopefully your eyes weren’t too clouded with distress; you’d rearranged your expression into something more relaxed, almost indifferent. Of course you didn’t care where he’d been, what he’d been doing, when he’d return…at least, that’s what you needed him to think. You didn’t want to risk betraying just how much his temporary absence had affected you. 

“(Y/N), I’m…oh, there you are.” He stepped through the threshold looking as composed and distinguished as always. Letting the door swing closed with a decisive click, he gave you a quick once over, eyebrow cocking up just slightly in mild confusion. Although his eyes betrayed the sentiment, his wide, fanged smile never wavered. “What are you doing standing around here? I would have expected--”

“I was just on my way…somewhere else.” A truly feeble attempt at diversion. Although the fact that you were able to make any sort of attempt was lucky enough. “Welcome back. I’m glad you’re home.”

Your smile took on a new nature, a deeper and more genuine expression of relief and contentment. You meant what you said, and if he hadn’t startled you so with his sudden arrival, you may have had the inclination to run up to him and pull him into a hug. Only if he allowed, if he was in the mood for that kind of thing, of course. But you still found yourself bound to the spot, muscles waffling on what to do next, how to free themselves from this rigid state they’d been so unfortunately locked into.

“It’s very nice to be home. Especially when the first thing I get to see is your darling face.” Ah, those charming words of his. You cursed them and you loved them, feeling the blood rise in your warming cheeks. You couldn’t tell if he was being entirely serious, or simply teasing you again, but either way they made your stiffness start to melt. 

“And in that case, I’d be happy to accompany you,” he offered, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as he closed the gap between you. “I’m glad I ran into you, actually. Now I don’t have to bother trying to locate whichever nook or cranny you happened to be curled up in. To be honest, though, it almost seems as if you were waiting quite impatiently for my return.”

You coughed, turning your face away from his probing eyes. “I can see how you would come to that conclusion, but I wasn’t. Speaking of, I hope you got everything on your to do list taken care of.”

“Everything and then some!” he answered cheerily, starting his stride and dragging you along with him. “It was a pleasant afternoon, to say the least. For me, that is. There’s certainly a fair amount of chaos ensuing, but nothing I haven’t dealt with before. You’d think after so many years everyone would have learned their lesson, that in the end all of their struggling and squabbling is ultimately meaningless, unnecessary.”

“No one’s ever said that about any of the plans and schemes _you’ve_ conducted, have they?” you challenged with an impish grin, probably pushing your luck a bit too far.

He slowly drummed his fingers on your shoulder, each one fixing itself more firmly to you than before as they curled into your shirt. “Well, I suppose that’s  _ one _ thing they’ve learned. To avoid provoking me if they know what’s good for them.”

You could practically feel the pressure of the double meaning in his words, zipping your lips to save yourself from making any other dangerous slip ups. He wasn’t oblivious to your sudden silence, but decided to traverse the remainder of your little stroll without interruption, giving you time to mull over whether you wanted to admit your shortcomings to him or not. He’d get the truth out of you one way or another, all in due time, but there wasn’t any rush. After all, for the rest of the afternoon, you two had all the time in the world.

“So, um, where are you taking us?” Wandering the halls for what seemed like ages, you finally snapped out of your daze, only to realize you’d been passing by and through several areas of the estate…completely unaware of your destination. 

“Somewhere we can rest and talk,” he explained much more candidly than you expected.

“What do you want to talk about?” He had your attention again; it never took much for him to intrigue you. “And why didn’t you just teleport us, if you know where we’re going?”

“Anything and everything, I suppose,” he mused, diverting from the endless maze of hallways into a room whose appearance you’d grown quite familiar with. “And because I wanted to give you time to think. I’m curious to know why you’re so hesitant to admit you spent the bulk of my absence worrying about my whereabouts and whatever I happened to be doing.”

Alastor’s private estate was impressive, tucked away in seclusion, probably impossible to trace or detect unless you knew what to look for. You’d been touched and flattered the first time he’d brought you here, and you were certain at least some measure of magic had been employed in its construction. This study was no different, with the perpetually roaring fireplace and massive shelves lining the walls, filled to the brim with an extensive collection of books from every era. It was more like a complete library he just happened to have in his home, and sometimes you wondered if his ultimate goal was to own every tome known to man. That was a bit far fetched, considering how many books he had no interest in or use for, but when it came to him you could never be entirely sure of his motives. 

“Why do you think that?” you asked, words tangling in your throat as if he’d just caught you in the middle of some forbidden act. 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, or disclose the truth, that’s fine,” he assured, removing his hold as he poofed over to one of the shelves. “It’s no skin off my nose. But I do wish you’d make it a tad easier for me to know exactly what I need to do to reassure you, so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”

“You’re never going to be able to get rid of all my worries,” you grumbled under your breath, gasping and taking a few clumsy steps back as he re-materialized before you. “It wouldn’t be an issue if I was with you, if you didn’t make me stay behind.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t try,” he pointed out, guiding you over to one of the plush loveseats that decorated the space. “But if you insist, I’ll drop it for now. And you know I can’t agree to those terms. I’m an exception. I’ve been dealing with this realm and its conflicts for decades, I know how to handle myself. It’s routine.” If he kept babbling on about it, you’d have to come up with a way to cut off his incessant bragging.

“But you don’t,” his tone shifted, almost softened, as he changed the subject of his monologue. “And as confident as I am that it wouldn’t pose a problem if you tagged along, I don’t want to bother taking the risk. You understand that, don’t you? I only insist that you stay behind for your own protection. Besides, having something to come back to gives me that much more incentive to be careful. Before, I never really did anything for anyone but myself. But now…I have someone else to take into consideration. I’m still getting used to it, although it’s not wholly unpleasant. I have  _ you _ to thank for that.”

His words touched your heart and you involuntarily grasped your chest, your grip tightening when you finally realized you’d moved. You wanted to take his words to heart…you  _ would. _ If not for yourself, then for him. You didn’t want to waste the valuable time you had together, especially after you’d been brooding over all the time you’d lost in his absence. 

“If thinking about or doing something else is more beneficial to you, I don’t mind. I just want you to stop worrying, in this moment if nothing else. Because I’m here now, and everything’s alright.” That was irrefutable, he  _ was _ here now, and you had some quality time to catch up on. 

He lounged across the cushions, gesturing for you to join him. You couldn’t say no to that face, or the tempting offer he was making, but tried to put at least a little reluctance into your surrender as you laid down on top of him. He much preferred the warmth and weight of you than a regular blanket, and combined with the sound and sensation of the fire, this was undeniably one of his favorite places to be in the whole world.

He opened his book and began to read, the subtle sound of a page turning periodically complementing the fire’s ambiance. He was breathing, although you still weren’t entirely sure he  _ needed  _ to…the logistics didn’t matter. You could hear and feel the rhythmic rise and fall of his thin chest, and the prickly static that accented his exhale, joining the various other sounds leisurely filling the air. This was one of your favorite places, too. One of your favorite people, and you couldn’t find it in yourself to keep holding on to your apprehension. Here, in this place and with this person, there was nothing to question or fear. There was only the two of you, and the quiet happiness you instilled in one another.


End file.
